In Photos: Al-Hashd al-Shaabi supporters in Basra celebrate militia’s official recognition

Supporters of al-Hashd al-Shaabi forces in the province of Basra celebrated late Sunday an Iraqi parliament’s vote a day earlier which incorporated the volunteer militia, formed upon a top Shia clergy decree in 2014 to counter Islamic State militants, as part of the country’s national defense forces, a step that drew scathing criticisms from Sunni powers who viewed it as a possible trigger of sectarian tensions.